Current Event Writing Assignment
Our textbook uses examples to illustrate the various topics covered. This helps put the material into context, so that you see that what we are learning is practical and important. The material we cover in our class will be more interesting to you if you look for these topics as they come up in the news. You will be surprised at how often the things we cover in this class (torts, the constitution, crimes, contracts, the court system, etc.) are discussed in the news.
As one of your homework assignments, write an essay on a current event that involves a topic we discuss in this class. Apply what we have learned to the current event. Discuss the event in light of the class material. Use what we have learned in class to explain what the article says. Most journalists are not lawyers; they don't necessarily have a good understanding of the legal system. Sometimes they write things that are just plain wrong. Point out the inaccuracies, if any, in your articles.
This is not a brief. It is just a regular essay. You can use MLA format if you like.
It won't be hard to find a good current event. Look through newspapers, magazines, and/or reputable web sites. Try to pick an event that you can follow, over time, as it evolves in the paper or on the Internet. Ideally you will have several articles about your current event.
Attach the articles and submit them with your essay, or include a link to them in your essay, as a separate sources cite page (which will not count towards your two-page minimum). Part of your grade will depend on your submitting your articles, preferably copied and pasted into Word documents, but submitting links to the articles is okay. The articles must be in English, and they must include the date of publication, and the periodical/site which published them. The essay must be at least two full pages long, typewritten, and double-spaced. I will deduct points for misspellings and grammar or writing errors. Indent the first line of each paragraph. Use a font size of 11 or 12.